Anthony Crolla says he deserves to fight the book-to-book king Vasyl Lomachenko

Anthony Crolla refuses to worry about Vasyl Lomachenko – and says that he has earned the right to send his luggage to Ukraine.

The Manchester fighter will face the WBA and WBO lightweight champions on April 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles after signing an agreement on Tuesday.

Lomachenko is 12 years old as a professional but has already won world titles in three different weight clbades.

The double Olympic gold medalist is widely regarded as the best active fighter on the planet.

Former WBA champion Crolla has won three fights on the rebound since he lost his world title against Jorge Linares.

The 31-year-old's wins over Ricky Burns, Edson Ramirez and Daud Yordan put him in first place in the WBA standings and Lomachenko's mandatory challenger.

Lomachenko has been trying to stage a clash against the new IBF champion Richard Commey, but the Ghana fighter is currently injured.

With WBC lightweight title holder Mikey Garcia ready to fight Errol Spence Jnr next month, his welterweight, Lomachenko has no choice but to face his tenure.

"I think I can win a world title again, and these are the types of fights I'm hired for," Crolla told Sky Sports.

"It's the biggest fight that can be done for me. I deserved it, it's not as if I'd received this shot.

"Since I lost my title against Linares, I came back and I have won three solid victories.

"I did not win the lottery or win a draw to beat Vasyl Lomachenko, so I'm looking forward to playing and I love coaching myself as I get older.

"No man is unbeatable. This has been proven with Lomachenko. He lost early in his career. "
Crolla had a roller coaster career that reached its peak when he defeated Darleys Perez to win the WBA belt in 2015.

The Manchester man has lost six times in 43 bouts but Linares' defeats in a row are his only losses in six years.

Crolla's promoter, Eddie Hearn, also reiterated his belief that his man deserved to try one of the best in the world. The head of Matchroom said: "Lomachenko is a great talent, but Anthony is in great shape and ready for this chance.

"It's a huge opportunity for Anthony.

"He won his stripes – a former world champion who fought the best.

"He won the last playoff game against Yordan in November, and I'm glad he's so lucky now."